Goodly Creatures: A Pride and Prejudice Deviation (62 page)

Mr Collins had been very suspicious of her changed looks, and questioned Mary about the reason for the disguise. Mary could no longer withhold the information from her husband. She determined to tell him Lizzy’s tale, but divert his full attention from the unravelling of her sister’s mystery with something more pleasant. Lizzy had noticed that Mary felt ill every morning and complained often of fatigue. She asked her sister if her breasts were tender, and once she got a reply in the affirmative, she told her sister of her suspicions. Mr Collins was elated at the possibility of a child, and it was only after hearing her delightful news—that Mary horrified him with a repetition of Lord Wolfbridge’s and Mrs Darcy’s depravity. He knew his sister-in-law to be a good woman; and though he had never met Lady Catherine’s daughter, her conduct was deemed thoroughly reprehensible by him. Lizzy’s story pushed his belief in the goodness of human beings to the limit. Once again, his admiration for his patroness was diminished by the action of the young woman she had reared. He questioned Mr Darcy’s character as well and was dubious about Mary’s plan to have him marry her sister.

Georgiana had been talking with Mary while Elizabeth played with the children. She stood up from the bench where she had been sitting and said, “Bethany, Lewis, it is time for us to go. Your grandmother will be anxious that you have been outdoors too long. You know how she worries about your health. If we are gone too long, she will try to limit our time outside.”

Bethany put her hands on her hips and said, “Papa is coming tomorrow. He will not let her tell us what to do.” Bethany wrinkled her nose and continued, “Do you think my mother was like her?”

Georgiana and Mary looked at Elizabeth and said simultaneously an emphatic, “No!”

When Georgiana, Lewis and Bethany arrived at Rosings, they saw a carriage with the Darcy crest, and realized Mr Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam had arrived a day early. Bethany twirled while Lewis jumped and laughed. Georgiana smiled secretively, knowing that the time had come to implement ‘plan matrimony.’ Unexpectedly, her niece pursued a similar objective.

Bethany ran to Richard, and once firmly ensconced in his arms, and at a height near her father’s she said, “Papa, we have found you a wife.”

Lewis, who had been picked up by his father, and also had a similar height advantage said, “Bethie, I want to marry her.”

“Lew, she rejected you. She said you were too short and too young. Papa is tall and old.”

Richard watched the family tableau unfold and started to laugh. “Darce, are they talking about your military strategist friend?”

“Yes, I believe so. Georgiana, are they talking about Miss Elizabeth Bennet?”

“They are.” Georgiana gave her brother a smirk and said, “I believe you met her in Hertfordshire.”

“Papa, did you reject her because she wears spectacles? She does not wear them all the time. She wears them in Grandmama’s house because it is dark. Millie can make her hair look the way you like it.”

Richard continued to laugh, and Darcy looked thoroughly confused. “She wears spectacles? What is wrong with her hair?”

Darcy saw for himself exactly how Miss Elizabeth had changed when the Hunsford party arrived for dinner. He was not pleased, but then he happened to notice Lady Catherine peering intently at her, and knew it was for the best. Besides the spectacles and the slicked back hair, she had added a collar to her gown that hid her bosom. He was miffed that Richard would think her quite unattractive, and not applaud his cousin for his exquisite choice. Until he had that thought, he was not even aware he was competitive with his cousin.

“Miss Bennet, I understand you know my son-in-law.”

“I do, your Ladyship. We met in Hertfordshire last year. The estate Mr Bingley was leasing, and where Mr Darcy was visiting, is next to my father’s, and the owner, Sir Walter Trent, is my father’s oldest friend.”

“Mr Collins will inherit your father’s estate. Is it well managed?”

“It is. My father has an excellent steward, who quite by coincidence is the nephew of Mr Darcy’s housekeeper. Under his stewardship, the income from the estate has increased one thousand pounds per year. Mr Reynolds has just announced his engagement to my sister, Catherine. They will be married in September.”

“Your father is a gentleman; and yet, he is allowing his daughter to marry a steward?”

“He is. Mr Reynolds also owns a brick works in the neighbourhood, and has recently begun making decorative tiles as well. He owns a lovely house, and your son-in-law can attest, my sister is a very happy young woman. Mr Darcy is having his townhouse refaced with Mr Reynolds’ brick, and Mr Reynolds is hoping Mr Darcy will recommend his brick to his London neighbours.”

“Whether he is in trade or in service… it still seems beneath a gentleman’s daughter.”

Mr Collins took over defending their family from his sister-in-law. “Yes, Lady Catherine, Mr Reynolds has become one of the most upstanding young men in all of Hertfordshire. He just recently accompanied my father-in-law on a visit to warn a young woman’s guardian about a fortune hunter from Derbyshire who was in the neighbourhood. He gave testimony of his bad character, which he had learned from his many acquaintances in Derbyshire. My entire family is pleased with the prospects of their wedding.”

Elizabeth, sitting next to Mr Darcy’s sister, squeezed her hand under the table. Mary, across the table from them, smiled at her friend. Darcy watched as his sister returned Mary’s comforting glance and then directed a shy look of gratitude toward Miss Elizabeth. He knew, in that instant, that she had confided the incident at Ramsgate to both sisters, and it was also obvious Georgiana knew about Bethany.

Richard nudged his cousin. If he truly wanted to win this woman, he needed to confront his aunt with regards her rudeness.

Darcy decided it was time to prove that he was not as witless as Richard thought. He said, “Aunt, Mr Reynolds is indeed one of the most admirable young men of my acquaintance. He and Miss Catherine are destined to have a wonderful marriage. They have strong affection, admiration, respect and common purpose, on which their love is based.”

Elizabeth looked at Darcy first with wonder and then pleasure. She smiled her appreciation, and out of the corner of her eye, saw the Colonel’s amusement.

Lady Catherine gave her son-in-law a withering glance. “Fitzwilliam, I am appalled at your lack of understanding of the need for marriage to reflect respect for our social order.”

Darcy chose to ignore her comment.

After dinner, the ladies entertained with music. Instead of playing the pianoforte, Georgiana chose to perform a series of folk tunes played on an Irish whistle. This act, which seemed calculated to annoy her aunt, confirmed for Elizabeth that there might be a growing attachment between Georgiana and Jamie. Her dear friend had more and more begun to mention Miss Darcy in his letters, and Elizabeth had increasingly become suspicious of the possibility. So much had happened in the last weeks, that she had not remembered to explore Georgiana’s acquaintance with Dr Wilder, but it was obvious she had become quite an expert on his favourite instrument, and that meant they had probably spent considerable time together.

Elizabeth decided not to play. She encouraged her sister to display her expertise on the pianoforte for the gentlemen with the explanation that she preferred to entertain with Pamina’s aria of her lost love Tamino to Mary’s accompaniment. The two had been performing this selection from Mozart’s
The Magic Flute
for years, but to this group it was fresh. Elizabeth was very pleased with the rapt attention of their audience.

Lizzy’s eyes found Mr Darcy’s as she sang the lament. He was wearing his ‘look of love’ countenance, but she knew how changeable he could be. She did find it odd that his gaze reflected such feelings despite her homely appearance.

Once the musical interlude was concluded, Colonel Fitzwilliam sat down next to Elizabeth. He saw her apprehension and said, “I am nothing like my brother… or my father for that matter. My mother is a Darcy, and a most remarkable woman. I am like her.”

Elizabeth was momentarily uncomfortable that his words indicated knowledge of her violation. Searching his eyes, she believed she saw only compassion and decided to relax. “Many years ago, I met your mother. She was very kind to me.” Elizabeth touched her spectacles and her severe bun as she gave him a grin and a quirk of her eyebrow. “She complimented me on my hair and eyes.”

Richard returned her humour with some of his own. “Ah, that explains my Goddaughter’s remarks to her father and his flustered reaction. She said you did not wear the spectacles except here in my aunt’s
‘dark’
house, and she was sure Millie could fix your hair. He, of course, looked quite befuddled and a bit disturbed at the image she painted of you. Am I correct in believing, you are..” Richard looked around before he whispered the completion of his sentence. “… you are in disguise? I do love intrigue and applaud your Machiavellian efforts to deceive my overbearing aunt.”

Elizabeth looked at Darcy, who was conversing with his sister. She caught his eye, and he had a look that registered concern of some kind. No more look of love. She was unsure what emotion his countenance reflected, but the thought that raced through her mind was…
here we go again.

Elizabeth thought Richard Fitzwilliam to be as charming as his brother, but without the duplicity. He was nowhere near as handsome, he had quite ordinary teeth, and nowhere near as much hair; but to an older and wiser Elizabeth, he was an extremely pleasant man. She was not sure why she felt him honest, but perhaps it was that hint of sadness she could see in his eyes that made him seem more genuine. Besides being one of the most affable men she had ever met, she could not remember the last person who caused her to laugh so often. He told her stories of his childhood with Darcy and his visits to Pemberley.

Her favourite story was of one midsummer picnic, and how he and Darcy had fought a duel with wooden swords to determine who would get to portray the Indian changeling. They had argued for days over who had the most qualities to make them like that character. Richard insisted he was, because he had a voracious appetite, and did not like to wear shoes. Darcy insisted he was, because he knew more large words and everyone knew changelings were wise and their talk was highly intelligent. Richard mimicked his cousin’s haughty mien when he made his pronouncement of the superiority of his vocabulary. Elizabeth hoped Darcy would not realize the cause of her hilarity. Richard said both had at that time an abundance of curly hair that was quite messy, so this changeling characteristic resulted in a draw. Neither had wanted to own to having a greenish tint to their skin. Their mothers put up with the argument, but on the third day, Mr Darcy said ‘enough,’ and encouraged the duel. Richard had won, and Darcy had pouted for days. When he told the end of the story, he again imitated his cousin, and the pout on the Colonel’s face was a look she recognized from that last morning on Oakham Mount.

Shortly after Mr Collins indicated they were about to return to Hunsford, Mr Darcy said his farewells and told his mother-in-law he was going upstairs to check on his children. Instead, he waited in the vestibule, and while Mr and Mrs Collins were putting on their outer garments, he whispered to Elizabeth, “We need to talk. Do you walk at dawn here in Kent?”